Marrakech to Fes via the Sahara: The 3-Day Desert Route Explained

The Marrakech to Fes desert tour is a 3-day, one-way journey across Morocco: day 1 crosses the High Atlas to the Dades Valley, day 2 reaches the Sahara dunes of Merzouga for a camel trek and a night in a camp, and day 3 drives north through the Ziz Valley and the Middle Atlas to Fes. It combines Morocco's two most visited cities with the desert, without driving the same road twice. Our private version starts from €230 per person.

Why go one-way?

A round trip Marrakech – Merzouga – Marrakech means driving about 1,100 km and seeing part of the road twice. If your trip continues to Fes, Chefchaouen or the north, ending in Fes saves a full day of driving and shows you a completely different side of Morocco on the way: oases, cedar forests and mountain towns. It is the logic behind most of our Morocco tour packages.

The route day by day

Day 1: Marrakech – Tizi n'Tichka – Aït Benhaddou – Dades Valley

Pickup in Marrakech in the morning. The road climbs into the High Atlas and over the Tizi n'Tichka pass (about 2,200 m), with stops at viewpoints and Berber villages. After lunch near Aït Benhaddou, the UNESCO-listed Ksar of Aït-Ben-Haddou, you continue through Ouarzazate and the palm groves of Skoura to the Dades Valley for the night.

Day 2: Dades – Todra Gorge – Erfoud – Merzouga

Morning walk in the Todra Gorge, where the canyon walls rise high above the river. Then the road crosses the desert plains to Erfoud and Rissani. In the late afternoon you arrive at Merzouga, meet your camels and ride into the Erg Chebbi dunes for sunset. Dinner, music and the night in a desert camp.

Day 3: Merzouga – Ziz Valley – Midelt – Ifrane – Fes

Wake up early for the sunrise over the dunes, then breakfast at the camp. The longest drive of the trip (about 470 km) goes north along the Ziz Valley, a long ribbon of palm trees, then over the Middle Atlas via Midelt. Near Azrou you pass cedar forests where Barbary macaques often appear by the road, and in Ifrane you can stretch your legs in the town nicknamed the "Switzerland of Morocco". Arrival in Fes in the evening.

Distances and driving times

What is included in our private tour

• Private air-conditioned vehicle with an experienced driver for your group only
• 2 nights: a boutique hotel in the Dades Valley and a luxury desert camp in Merzouga
• Sunset camel trek in the Erg Chebbi dunes
• Daily breakfast and 2 dinners
• Pickup in Marrakech and drop-off at your riad or hotel in Fes

Lunches, drinks, optional guided visits and tips are not included. See the full programme on our 3-day Marrakech to Fes desert tour page.

The reverse route: Fes to Marrakech

Arriving in Fes first? The same journey works in the other direction, with the desert night on day 1 and the Dades Valley on day 2. See our 3-day desert tour from Fes to Marrakech, from €235 per person. For the history of the city itself, the UNESCO page of the Medina of Fez is a good read, and our Fes travel guide helps you plan your days there.

Three days or four?

Three days is enough, but day 3 is long. A fourth day lets you spend a full day in the desert (4x4 tour around the dunes, visit of a nomad family, sandboarding) or split the last drive. If you have a week, combine the desert with Chefchaouen and Fes on our 7-day private tour.

Tips for the trip

• Pack a small overnight bag for the desert camp; the big luggage stays in the car.
• Bring cash for lunches, drinks and small purchases on the road.
• From December to February, the Middle Atlas can be snowy; your driver will adapt the route if needed.
• Book your Fes accommodation for the evening of day 3; we drop you at the door or the nearest gate of the medina.